AsacolonelduringtheAmericanRevolution,AaronBurrtreatedhistroopswithconsiderablekindness,providing,forexample,newshoesandcampvisitsbyprostitutes.Dissent,however,wasnottreatedlightly.
Onedayin1777,withthingslookingbleakfortheContinentalarmy,the21-year-oldcolonellearnedthatamutinywasintheworksandorderedamidnightinspection.Ashemarcheddowntheline,amutineersuddenlyshouted,"Now'syourtime,boys,"aimedagunsquarelyatBurr'schestandfired.Thegun,however,didnotgooff.Burrhadremovedthecartridgesfromeachman'smusketduringthenight.Hedrewhissword,andwithasinglestrokeamputatedtheman'sarm.
Hisauthoritywasneverquestionedagain.
美國獨立戰爭期間,亞倫.伯爾任陸軍上校,頗能體恤士卒,例如給他們新鞋子,並安排妓女到軍營。可是,不聽號令者絕不輕饒。
一七七七年,美洲軍隊看來大勢已去,二十一歲的伯爾有一天聽說手下醞釀兵變,於是下令半夜檢閱。他在排列成行的士兵面前走過,一名叛兵突然大叫:「各位兄弟,現在不動手,更待何時!」那叛兵用槍對正伯爾胸膛,一扣扳機,但沒有子彈射出。伯爾夜裏早已把各士兵步槍裏的子彈取去。他拔出劍來,一劍就砍斷那叛兵一條手臂。
從此再沒有人不服從他了。
【附注】Intheworks是「在籌辦中」,例如:AplanfortheinvasionofIranisprobablyintheworksintheUS(美國大概正計劃進侵伊朗)。